The Labour Party does not stand alone. It forms part of The Party of European Socialists (PES), and proudly so. The PES has recently formulated its guiding themes for the upcoming MEP elections and, true to form, this has come about following a thorough consultation process. It is very clear that this was intended to provide a new deal for Europe where the individual is to be the centre of the community. As individuals we then all form part of a central core, with care as the basis of our collective reasoning. Care, needless to say, in its widest sense. It is useless to act as individuals without an iota of care for others. This is recognized in the six-point manifesto forming the theme of the PES.
In the light of the recent financial disasters all over the world, and of course in the EU, it is comforting that the first item on the PES manifesto is “Relaunching the economy and preventing new financial crises”. It would be useless to try and solve the current financial woes that have beset us if we do not strive also to prevent them from happening again. This is the difficult part. I believe that there is a sense of mea culpa in all of us. If there is not, then there should be! Deep down we all knew something was wrong and required regulation. The PES has indicated that proper regulation is one of the tools that will be required to avoid further crises.
Creating a “New social Europe – giving people a fairer deal” is at the core of our thinking. It is at the core of social democracy, which identifies as its scope the simple basic truth that is social justice. The PES is thinking in terms of creating a Europe that is fairer to us all. It recognises that the core value of fairness must form the basis of all future financial equations. Consideration will be given to the individual.
By inserting “Transforming Europe into the leading global force against climate change” in the PES manifesto, the PES has made it amply clear once more that the environment and its changing subtleties will have to be part and parcel of any regulation that comes from the EU. This has now become a necessity of global proportions and the PES intends to be at the forefront of the change that is needed in our way of thinking. It is heartening to see that President Barack Obama is following this trend. The problem of climate change is a global one that therefore requires global solutions. This will boil down eventually to individual measures to be taken, but this is only natural since climate change is affecting us all individually.
The “Championing of gender equality in Europe” has been at the forefront of the PES from its inception. The PES has always recognised that gender equality is not just a simple turn of phrase. Gender equality is! We cannot think in terms of anything else since we all must have the same opportunities in our workplace whatever and wherever that may be, and this regardless of our gender. By placing this issue on the European stage as part of our manifesto, the PES has indicated that it will continually strive for gender equality whenever inequality raises its ugly head. It is heartening for us, here in Malta to see that “Developing an effective European migration policy” forms part of the PES manifesto. The EU is facing regular waves of irregular migrants. Malta is bearing, to a large extent, the brunt of this irregularity and it is high time that a solution be found. It is useless to think in terms of bare words. The PES has identified the necessity to create a policy that is effective. The only policies that are effective are those that can work holistically to attempt to solve the problem in all its respects. Paying lip service to the needs of irregular migrants is not an option any more. More must be done to solve this matter at the outset. More must also be done to ensure that once the migrants have reached European shores their problems are processed swiftly, justly, equally and within the format of burden sharing.
Finally, the PES states that it will be “Enhancing Europe’s role as a partner for peace, security and development”. This, in a sense, takes us back to the core values we aspire to. The essence of the European movement is the integration of the various peoples within the same political system. This system is, of necessity, multi-cultural since each nation brings its own to the democratic table. However, the PES has indicated that it will not go it alone. Our peace, security and development are too precious to leave in the hands of a few powerful individuals or nations. The PES is hereby ensuring that within the framework of the European process we must strive for a united front. It is with this united front that true peace, security and development will be achieved.
This then is the social European framework.
I believe that these core principles of the PES are such that show the right way forward for the European movement. These themes reflect the necessity of striving for the common good. They reflect the very essence of our politics, that there is a common bond driving us all.
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Dr Micallef Stafrace is a Labour Party candidate in the forthcoming European Parliament elections.